I was just watching “You Don’t Know Dixie” on the History channel and they had an interesting piece on the very first tow truck. I bet many of you didn’t know that the first tow truck was a Cadillac.
Ernest Holmes from Chattanooga Tennessee chopped his 1913 Cadillac in half and rigged it up so that he could pull trucks out of ditches. The day before someone flipped their Model T in a ditch and it took all day with 6 men to get it out. He figured there had to be a better way. He went back to his shop and the tow truck was born.
If you would like to learn more visit International Towing Museum
The show was very enlightening and if you get a chance to see it I recommend doing so. Here is the preview from the History Channel.
That was a very interestingting article, Vinny.
Wow, Vinny, you have uncovered yet another in a long, if not endless list of Cadillac firsts. I missed that show tonight, but guess I will have to watch for the replay.
I knew you would like this Earle being that it may be the worlds first Pro car. They also explained how Cadillacs became the tow trucks of choice since they were dependable as all heck and they were cheaper than buying a new truck.
They also explained how Cadillac built tow trucks for the military. It is on again right now if you are still up.